The Evolution Of Cellular Phone Ringtones
Despite a sceptical greeting and a slow start in the 80s, mobile phones have had one of the biggest changes on society of any recent technology. Initially derided as a status symbol for yuppies and stock brokers, mass production quickly moved them from flashy status symbol, to must have toy, to everyday appliance.
As mobile phones became smaller, less expensive, and easier to use, more and more people began to use them. Even as they became every day objects, carried around as an essential along with our house keys and handbag, the miniature computers inside them become more and more .
These massive increases in computing capability allowed the manufacturers and carriers to begin offering customisation options, allowing users to modify their own phones with clip on covers, wallpaper images to display on screen – and cheap ringtones.
Initially only basic UK ringtones were offered, using a limited range of sounds to play the sort of tacky music you’d expect to hear as hold music. Quickly, manufacturers soon realised how profitable UK ringtones were, and so started to add more complex audio hardware to their mobiles.
Mobile phones can now play complete CD quality music and sound effects, and be customised to play a specific sound for a group of people, as well as when recieving an SMS message or other alert. The once large and limited status symbols have now grown into desirable hand held computers, combining PDA and mobile music system.
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